


men of stone

by ever_neutral



Category: Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-12-15
Updated: 2010-12-15
Packaged: 2017-10-17 22:29:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 584
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/181966
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ever_neutral/pseuds/ever_neutral
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Nothing is forever.”</p><p>“We are,” Damon replies, instantly. </p><p> </p><p>[S1/2 setting. Canon-compliant.]</p>
            </blockquote>





	men of stone

Now that he has all of eternity ahead of him, Stefan’s beginning to see how fleeting everything really is. The things he used to count on, to be solid, to _remain_ \-- have all dissipated into the ether, out of his grasp for good.

(They may as well never have been there at all.)

Katherine rots in a tomb out of his reach. His father has all but wiped his sons’ existence from memory. Damon may as well not be his brother. The lines engraved in his heart are fading fast where once they stretched out before him like a lifeline. (He doesn’t need one of those anymore.)

Now what stretches before him is –

Nothing.

\--

And then Elena Gilbert happens.

\--

Of course, it only makes sense (because nothing makes sense) that the instant that something solid emerges in his life, Damon also reappears, intent on destroying it.

Stefan understands this is yet more retribution, for his own betrayal long ago. He also understands that just like he destroyed his brother out of love, so too is Damon driven by it.

He realizes that it was foolish to think that mark would ever fade. Damon will never allow him to forget.

\--

He finds himself at the bar, joined by Damon and a dozen shot glasses. For what reason, he cannot say. (There is no reason.)

Damon drinks like he eats – like his life depends on it.

(Stefan vaguely considers there may be something wrong with that thought.)

“By the way, ran into your girlfriend again.” Damon makes an appreciative noise. “She really is pretty. Just your type.”

“Don’t joke with me, Damon.”

Damon snorts. “You were funnier when you were killing people.”

“I guess that’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make.”

“How noble.”

Stefan thinks that if his human self could see them now, it would probably kill him.

“So, how many other guys are you sharing her with.” Damon’s tone is dark, and utterly devoid of curiosity.

“Elena and I aren’t like that.”

The responding eye roll is such that Stefan expects Damon’s eyes to pop out of his skull. “No, yours is a forever love, my mistake.” He downs his shot in the manner of someone plugging a hole to prevent something from coming out. Possibly bile.

Stefan allows himself a smile. “Well, I wouldn’t go quite that far, Damon.” (He was never the one to go that far, which Damon knows full well.) “Nothing is forever.”

“We are,” Damon replies, instantly.

Stefan looks at him sharply. Damon doesn’t look back.

\--

And time goes on.

He doesn’t kill Damon, like he was prepared for. Of course, there are many things he isn’t prepared for. He wearily remembers all the promises he once made to himself, about how he would never give Damon another chance. He can now laugh at his own conviction; nothing in existence is certain. Even immortals change.

Though he knows it’ll take Damon a while.

“You know it can’t last, right? This whole grand epic love story nonsense.”

“Doesn’t matter,” Stefan says. “Things end. We rebuild them.”

Damon, for once, is left with no response.

\--

Some more time has passed when Damon suddenly turns to him and says, “I don’t know what you’re expecting from me, Stefan. Something good, the return of my _humanity_ , whatever it is, you’re gonna be disappointed.”

Stefan shrugs. “Maybe.”

“Maybe?” Damon repeats, disbelievingly. “Maybe but what?”

“But... We are what we are,” Stefan says. “And we have all the time in the world for second chances.”

*


End file.
